Thill-coupling.



No. 629,488. Patentod July 25, I899.

w.. .H. BOWE.

THILL COUPLING.

(Application filed Max. 10, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WINESSES fi l/511111211 NITED STATES WILLIAM H. BOWE, OF OIN CINNATI, OHIO.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 629,488,dated July 25,1899. Application filed March 10,1899. $erlal No. 708,479. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. BoWE, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'lhill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is ,an antirattler-shaft or thill-coupling in which a spring.

is connected to the shackle, so that it may readily be brought to bear against the shaft or thill-iron after it has been coupled to the shackle to prevent rattling and against the coupling-bolt to take the place of a nut to hold it in position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,in which like parts are indicated by similar reference-letters wherever they occur throughout the various views, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a shaft orthill-coupling embodying myinvention in its open position connected to the axle and axle-cap with the thill-iron and coupling-bolt in place before the spring has been brought to bear against them, the thill-iron being shown in the unfinished state before it has been flattened to fit the shaft. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with one of the ears of the clip and the coupling-bolt broken away through the irregular line a: as of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same in its locked position.

The axle A and axle-cap A, clamped by the clip B, with its forwardly-projecting lugs or cars b b, and the thill or shaft iron 0 are all of ordinary construction and need not be particularly described.

The clip-bar D has at its forward end two downwardly-projecting lugs d d, which are perforated to pass a rod d upon the outer ends of which is pivoted a lever E. The 1ever E is slotted at one end to form arms e e, which are perforated at their outer ends to pass a rod e which couples the lever to a spring F. At the other end it has a perforated lug 6 in which is journaled the loop e, which passes over the rear end of the clipbar D and is held thereon by the lug d to lock the lever E in its closed position.

The spring F is composed of a V-shaped metal strip, the looped end f of which passes down between both the lugs b b and the arms a e and is engaged by the rod 6 The upperendsf f of the spring curve outwardly, the end f terminating in a curved flange, formed at an angle to and of greater width than it, at one end of which is a downwardlyprojecting lug f When the lever is raised, the spring is drawn down between the lugs and pressed outwardly against the thill-iron, the flange f is brought to rest on top of the thill-iron, being cut out'at f to fit about-its shank, and the lug f is brought to bear against the head of the bolt b taking the place of a nut to keep it from working out of its bearings.

It is intended to manufacture and sell the clip-bar with its lever and spring separate from the rest of the coupling, as it may be adjusted to any of the ordinary couplings now in use by simply removing therefrom the common clip-bar and putting it in place of the latter.

What I claim is 1. In a thill-coupling the combination of the clip having forwardly-projectinglugs, the thill-iron, the bolt coupling the. clip and the thill-iron, the clip-bar, .the spring to bear against the thill-iron, the lever pivoted to the clip-bar and coupled to the spring and means to lock the lever in its closed position, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a thill-coupling the combination of the clip, the thill-iron, the coupling-bolt, the clip-bar having lugs at its forward end, a lever, a rod passing through the lugs and v the lever, a spring to bear against the thill= iron, means for coupling the spring and the lever and means for holding the lever in its closed position, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a thill-coupling the combination of the clip, the thill-iron, the coupling-bolt, the clip-bar with lugs at its forward end, the lever slotted at one end to form arms, the rod passing through said lugs and said arms, the V- shaped spring, the rod passing through said arms and said spring and means to lock the lever in its closed position, substantially as shown and described.

4.. In a thill-coupling the combination of the clip, the thill-iron, the clip-bar, the lever slotted at one end to form arms, the rod secured between said arms,the V-shaped spring passing down between the clip and the thill iron and around said rod, and having at one end a flange with a downwardly-projecting lug to bear against the coupling-bolt in the closed position of the lever, means for pivoting the lever to the clip-bar and means for holding the lever in its closed position, substantially as shown and described.

5. As a new article of man ufaeture the clipbar for thill-couplings having downwardlyprojecting lugs at one end, the lever, the rod passing through said lugs and said lever and the V-shaped spring coupled to the lever, substantially as shown and described.

(5. In a chill-coupling the combination of the clip, the thill-iron, the bolt or pin for coupling the clip and iron the clip-bar, the lever pivoted thereon, the spring to bear against the thill-iron having a flange projecting from its outer end to bear against the bolt or pin and hold it in place when the lever is thrown, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM H. BOWE. Vitnesses:

WALTER F. MURRAY, GEO. J. MURRAY. 

